Actualize Freedom | Amazon FBA with Danny Carlson | Private Label Ecommerce Selling on Amazon

Have you ever wondered why you don't see many successful women in the Amazon e-commerce world?

Regina Peterburgsky is the host of the Women on Amazon Podcast where she interviews top women in the selling on Amazon FBA space.

In this episode of the Actualize Freedom Podcast, Regina talks about the reasons why you don't see many women as speakers or influencers in the Amazon space, and what she's doing to change that.

Product targeting ads on Amazon are one of the newer strategies available to Amazon Sellers, so many brands have yet to figure out the best tactics.

Ritu Java shares her best Amazon product targeting ads strategies for 2020 from her depth of experience running PPC Ninja.

Targeting specific ASINs, categories, and adding in filters for price and reviews relative to your product are all key concepts we cover.

One of the only repeat guests on the Actualize Freedom Podcast, Troy Johnston was asked to come back on to share his innovative solution to Amazon launches using Manychat.

Troy is a big fan of using Manychat to drive sales to products with a promise of a rebate. But it's a very time-intensive process manually confirming order ID's and sending PayPal rebates to customers.

Seller.tools developed a tool that automatically confirms order ID's then only sends rebates automatically through VISA or Amazon gift cards.

Do you have inventory that just won't sell sitting in Amazon FBA warehouses costing you storage fees?

Orion Avidan has a proven framework for selling through that inventory while retaining 60% of your profits.

Clear cut criteria for deciding which inventory should utilize which liquidation strategy removes uncertainty and provides the most efficient way to get that capital back to work launching new products.

Looking for an edge on your Amazon competition? Throwing more money at Amazon Ads or product launch services isn't the only way.

Product positioning through unique copywriting targeted at buyer desires works just as well! Check out Kenji ROI's Amazon Copywriting Service: https://www.kenjiroi.com/amazon-listing-services/

Amy Wees from Amazing at Home has toured the Amazon FBA conference circuit for years as a speaker in front of sold-out crowds.

She has 3 Amazon brands of her own and holds some patents to back them up, and her 18-year military planning experience helped her dive successfully into selling on Amazon and now helping others do the same.

Using Facebook Messenger Marketing for Amazon launches, ranking, and reviews is effective, but it's recently gotten more complicated.

So I brought my friend Michelle Smith back on the podcast for round 2, and a short, to the point summary of what 2020 will bring for challenges, but also opportunities in the Messenger Marketing Space.

Can you add value to your Amazon FBA products by pairing it with a cheap smartphone app?

More brands are realizing the power of connecting physical products to the digital world, and how a basic app can be a unique differentiator in the e-commerce market.

Jonny Bradley is an Entrepreneur, Author, and Ecommerce Expert, & helps ordinary people create extraordinary things one product at a time.

In this episode of the Actualize Freedom Podcast, we dive deep on Jonny's experience launching a product that had an app, why it took much longer than expected, and his entire costs & exact product that he launched.

If you are considering creating a Shopify store to supplement your Amazon sales, you're probably wondering which Shopify apps you should use.

Derric Haynie is a professional Shopify software stack consultant and tells us his best recommendations for:

• Abandoned Cart Automations
• SMS Marketing Automations
• Shopify Themes
• Conversion Rate Boosting Apps

And everything you need to set up your Shopify store.

The world economy is on the brink of collapse, and Amazon sellers are worried. Why are some brands thriving while others struggle to survive?

Sure lots of it depends on whether you're selling survival or outdoor recreational items, but as Andy Arnott points out, there are other things Amazon sellers can do as well.

With his wealth of knowledge as a long time Amazon seller and his mass of data from his software company Seller SEO, he shares his best tips for recession proofing your Amazon business.

Mike Michelini is stuck in Cebu City Philippines hotel room after being dragged out of his friend's apartment by paranoid security guards during the COVID-19 outbreak.

He was featured on Yahoo finance talking about the situation in China with manufacturer shutdowns, and some returning to business as normal.

With his unique on the ground insights, Mike Michelini shares the current situation with Chinese manufacturers depending on their region & specialties.

Are your manufacturers back to business as normal? Find out on this episode of the Actualize Freedom Podcast on all podcasting platforms.

Getting reviews for your Amazon products is getting more and more difficult, & techniques evolve.

Gone are the days when you could buy Amazon reviews through shady Amazon review sites and get away with it. White hat is the way to go!

Michael Melgar and Tygh Walters have an ecommerce customer service company Seller Smile. Their team manages reviews and feedback for large brands, and they're always up to date with changes in Amazon's TOS policies.

A recent change is Amazon has been more hesitant to remove neutral or negative seller feedback. It used to be easy to request feedback removal when it's clearly a product review, not seller feedback, but now it's hit or miss.

It's now recommended to continue opening cases at least 3 times before giving up.

Amazon buyer-seller messaging has tightened in recent years as well, with many sellers removing themselves from everything but essential order update emails, meaning they will not receive your review request email.

This means that excellent customer service is more important now then ever to keep your reviews coming in, and stop the negative ones from happening (or reverse them).

In this episode, Tygh Walters talks about the 3 fundamentals to provide good Amazon customer experience:

• Be fast and correct. Speed of reply and accuracy of information.
• Be Friendly. Use language that can only be read as polite.
• Be Proactive. Try to think of what the customer would ask next, then provide that answer.

It’s essential to make the customer feel emotionally engaged, using emojis and asking about their purchase to make them feel valued.

18:36 - Tygh Walters talks about some amazing tips for how to manage any size or type of E-commerce business with loads of activities taking place every day and dozens of messages popping up in the email.

• Running a business is not a one-person job.
• Hire multiple people to perform similar activities.
• Provide constant training.
• Have expert guidance sessions.
• The agents should stay up to date with changes taking place in the inventory and business.
• Have important information in one central location, plus more.

Will Christensen is the master of Amazon FBA business automations, and founder of the company Data Automation, and he shares his experience in this Actualize Freedom Podcast Episode!

What things should you NOT automate? 

Will Christensen's rule is to never automate something you haven't done yourself at least 5 times. If you haven't' tested a process, it's likely you haven't fixed the "bugs" in your process.

What things can you automate in an Amazon FBA Business?

Will first will Google "how do I automate X process?" and see how other people have figured out how to automate it. Rather than trying to figure it out from scratch, it's likely other businesses have already solved your exact problem.

What exactly can Amazon Sellers automate?

The most common one is Amazon business reports & metrics consolidated into one single report with excel formulas to give you better information to grow your sales.

Zapier is a powerful automation platform that Will's company Data Automation often  uses to create business process automations without using any code. It's simple enough for non  techy people to set up powerful automations and replace manual tasks or the need to pay a virtual assistant to do it.

Will's Automation Agency: https://dataautomation.com

Sean Smith is near the top of my list of who I trust for Amazon PPC strategy.

I've been through a lot of Amazon PPC courses and in my opinion, his PPC & AMS Accelerator with Taylor Benterud is the best one.

Software automation for Amazon PPC optimization is great, but Sean Smith is a big advocate for using bulk files to smooth Amazon Ads workflow.

Everything from keyword bid adjustments & negative matches to uploading full campaigns for multiple products with thousands of keywords can be done without software much faster than using Amazon Seller Central's campaign manager. 

Amazon Sponsored Ads is getting more competitive, so creating an effective Amazon ppc management strategy is going to be essential in 2020 and beyond.

Sean also talks about Amazon video ads and how many accounts are now getting access to this tool, and what new Amazon marketing strategies are coming soon to Amazon sellers and brands with larger adspend.

Scientist turned Amazon seller manager and tech innovator Chris Rawlings joins us today to share his unique story and invaluable experiences. Between monitoring the performance of small, midsize and large companies and technological innovations, we’re lucky Chris found the time to feature on Actualize Freedom and share his indispensable insights with us and our listeners!

2:15 - The story of Chris’s tech startup Judolaunch.

4:51 - Setbacks Chris endured after venture funding and what he’s learned from them.

14:32 - Difference between key performance indicators (KPIs) in larger businesses versus smaller businesses.

19:51 - The KPIs new sellers and smaller businesses should be aware and keep track of.

22:09 - Troubleshooting KPIs.

27:33 - How Chris found investors for his international tech startup Judolaunch and the world’s first equity-backed security token, 22x.

34:54 - Stress management in tech startups.

39:18 - Chris’s predictions for near future changes and trends in Amazon.

49:03 - Where to find Chris online.

Links:

Judolaunch - https://judolaunch.com/

22x security token - https://www.22xfund.com/

Chris’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hippiemogul/?hl=en

Seller Jams Podcast - https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/sellers-jams

Multiple 8 figure business owner and business coach Adam Hudson joins us today as we delve into the multiple angles within Amazon with his unique and comprehensive perspective. Adam details the mindset necessary to keep unique, innovative and interesting products on the market and how to effectively implement market segmentation. This interview is a must for any new or aspiring sellers who are looking to tap into the profitable markets less sought-after!

1:42 - Pivotal moments in Adam’s career.

4:58 - The process of creating unique products for the Amazon marketplace.

9:24 - Balancing time and budget.

12:53 - Indicators for products or product areas which are ripe for modernization/innovation.

16:27 - Developing niche products for boring or “unxexy” yet profitable markets.

20:44 - Finding the proper balance between shooting hard for the first sale and protecting your product and capital.

23:48 - Cost effective methods to differentiate your product from the current market.

29:51 - Other methods of product differentiation.

34:09 - Important ways entrepreneurs need to grow as entrepreneurs in order to grow their businesses.

38:05 - One final resource/piece of advice.

40:47 - Where to find Adam online.

We all know that creating an Amazon business presents a long list of challenges. What many sellers don’t know is that if you already have an Amazon FBA business and are looking to sell, it’s not exactly like selling a car or a set of vintage baseball cards. Coran Woodmass specializes in selling this type of business and is fully aware and highly experienced in the ins and outs of the process. If you’re looking to sell your Amazon FBA business, this is the episode for you!

1:10 - Coran’s podcast.

1:50 - Why some of Coran’s clients did not want to sell.

5:37 - Range and factors that influence sellers to sell or keep their business.

11:21 - Criteria for what gives a good multiple.

14:15 - Other factors that go into a seller’s decision to sell or keep.

18:11 - Selling a portion of your business vs selling the whole thing.

21:08 - Deal breakers that greatly devalue businesses.

24:28 - Examples of successful diversification.

26:48 - The importance of standard operating procedures and precise financials when selling a business.

31:49 - Example of a business that was ready to sell but had a skeleton in the closet.

33:40 - Where to find Coran online.

Over time, Amazon terms of use and service have become more stringent, and in some cases, fairly obfuscated. Some of these evolving rules and regulations can sometimes become hard to keep up with and easy to forget. Today’s guest, Lensley Hensell specializes in conformance to these guidelines, resolving suspensions and keeping Amazon seller accounts healthy and active at all times. She has helped to recover and keep safe thousands of seller accounts. Let her knowledge and experience keep your seller page compliant with Amazon’s terms of service.

1:14 - The mindset to overcome an Amazon suspension.

5:49 - Primary/secondary Amazon accounts and suspensions.

8:25 - Amazon suspensions related to Amazon BSR and promotion manipulation.

10:34 - The language involved in terms of rebates and Amazon TOS.

16:09 - Intentionally directing customers to favorable places to the seller.

17:48 - How Amazon makes calls on what is manipulation and what isn’t.

20:43 - The controversial “Super URL” in 2019.

22:41 - Search and browse violations.

24:56 - Can Amazon detect “search find buy” techniques?

27:05 - Can Amazon detect copy/pasted reviews?

28:46 - The top 3 reasons Amazon sellers are getting suspended today.

35:02 - Amazon customer service.

40:05 - Where to find Lesley online.

Starting an Amazon business is often daunting, presenting tasks and learning curves which may seem insurmountable, scaring many new sellers off. Of the ones that make it through that initial stage, most don’t realize the brand new set of tasks and learning curves that come with substantial growth. Join us today with 8-figure Amazon seller Fernando Cruz as he details his Amazon journey, particularly after the growth phase. His vast experience easily can save you innumerable amounts of time and headaches!

2:20 - How does an 8-figure seller conduct product research?

6:12 - Coordinating proper margin calculation.

8:46 - What product launch methods are most effective with current Amazon algorithms and protocols?

10:30 - How Fernando is managing product rebates.

12:18 - Calculating rebates versus discounts/giveaways.

14:46 - Fernando’s strategy for managing inventory.

17:34 - Strategies for effectively outsourcing employees.

26:14 - How Fernando communicates with his team of outsourced help.

29:44 - In what ways has Manychat benefited Fernando’s business?

31:14 - What does a typical work day for Fernando look like?

33:07 - Fernando’s predictions for Amazon ecommerce for the next year.

36:24 - Pixelfy.me

38:35 - Where to find Fernando online.

Every product or service requires a unique advertising plan and method of execution. Additionally, each of these plans needs to be updated and tweaked as time goes on and the Amazon climate continues to evolve. These processes can be overwhelming even for seasoned sellers. Take this opportunity to let Amazon Ads expert Liz Adamson’s knowledge and experience help you get your business that crucial boost in exposure to make your products and services thrive!

1:12 - New additions to the Amazon Ads platform.

2:26 - Who has access to these new additions?

3:36 - Other additions that may not be available to everyone yet.

7:29 - Targeted advertising.

8:24 - Can you see if your competitors are using programmatic display ads?

9:31 - Having your ads show up on specific ASINs.

16:56 - Is it always best practice to target your “weakest” competitor?

21:18 - Sponsored products/keyword advertisement best practices in 2019.

25:13 - Tools and methods Liz recommends for keyword research.

26:28 - Recommendations for methods on bid adjustments.

28:49 - Does Liz use software for programmatic bid adjustments?

31:26 - Which bid adjustment software(s) does Liz use, and what are the specific inputs placed into the software?

35:16 - How does Liz keep track of all the details of her advertising campaigns?

37:19 - What type of mindset and procedures does Liz use to keep up testing and tweaking her ad campaigns?

39:27 - Where to find Liz online.

Many new or aspiring Amazon sellers aren’t aware of the integral number crunches that are so essential to a successful business. Let Brittany’s expertise give you a head start on those unsexy yet crucial bureaucratic elements of running your Amazon business.

1:39 - Quantifying and designating funds properly on Amazon.

6:56 - Recognizing the bigger picture of your profits and expenses.

11:11 - Accounting tips for new or newer sellers.

13:59 - Cash flow management and sales projections.

18:08 - Time/inventory management for spreadsheet beginners and intermediates.

23:21 - Recording and reporting revenue properly/dodging the long reach of the IRS.

28:28 - The murky waters of cross-territory sales taxes.

34:08 - The cost of tax registration across multiple states, and what Brittany recommends as the minimum threshold for reporting revenue across those individual states.

38:05 - Where to find Brittany online.

In this episode we interview 7 figure Amazon seller and digital nomad Alex Huditan. Alex shares in depth details about his methods to success as well as some important lessons he’s learned in this past 5 years. The present operations climate at Amazon is not very user friendly for newcomers. Let Alex’s experience and expertise help you put your new business on the right path.

1:50 - Alex’s experience getting into Amazon sales 5 years ago

3:46 - Things Alex did to properly build up his business to where it is today

6:22 - How Alex handled product pictures on Amazon?

8:02 - Alex’s view on not-entirely-honest tactics to get good reviews

11:04 - One more integral thing Alex did to contribute to his business’ growth

12:35 - How Alex dealt with handing over management responsibilities for his company

15:37 - How Alex decided on a work/life balance which fit both his ambitions and desire for personal time

17:40 - A mistake Alex made with his business that made for an invaluable learning experience

20:48 - Mistakes Alex made in the product ranking/product launch categories

23:39 - Present trends in Amazon that cause sellers to struggle

28:17 - Power of the long term mindset

29:44 - Alex’s latest project

33:36 - Where to find Alex online

Young entrepreneur Casey Gauss shares his in-depth knowledge about the micro and macro data operations on Amazon. As founder and CEO of Viral Launch, a company aimed at providing entrepreneurs with the insight, tools, and partnerships needed for lasting success, Casey often launches hundreds of products daily. Take this opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced Amazon gurus out there today!

1:46 - Casey’s experience transitioning from a small company into large business

2:51 - Casey’s Youtube channel

4:01 - Witnessing large scale Amazon changes from the inside

11:37 - What precautions should new Amazon sellers take in regards to promotions?

15:25 - What to expect running a new PPC campaign

20:20 - How long does it reasonably take to get a profitable campaign set up?

22.40 - Amazon PPC metrics

26:26 - The effects of black hat tactics on conversion rates

28:08 - Casey’s predictions for near-future changes on Amazon

35:26 - Are there ways to elicit positive reviews within Amazon’s terms of use?

40:00 - Where to find Casey online

In this interview we discuss the unique entrepreneurial journey of successful Amazon seller and software developer Aron Raduly. Aron details the story of his multi-faceted business ventures, provides tips to avoid pitfalls and his experience dealing with the problems that invariably arise. Take advantage of the expertise of someone who has been there/done that!

0:32 - Why/how did Aron sell his first business on the Empire Flippers marketplace.

7:18 - What was Aron’s next business step after selling his Empire Flippers business?

15:12 - Why do some people become complacent and even lazy after they’ve reached a certain level of success, and what are the potential consequences?

19:32 - What are the most important things for an Amazon seller to be monitoring, and what is the proper procedure on how should they go about monitoring them?

30:41 - Aron’s advice for new Amazon sellors.

34:59 - Where to find Aron online

Contemporary online ads expert Ryan Rigney shares his vast experience in external advertising for Amazon products. Ryan offers in-depth detail regarding the immense opportunity found in Facebook Messenger campaigns and Facebook ads. Other exciting topics discussed include implementing successful launch strategies, focus on reviews, best practices and risky endeavors in today's digital climate. 

1:15: How Ryan became an Amazon external ads expert.

5:21: The process of learning to use Facebook Messenger and Facebook advertisements to enhance Amazon sales.

7:50: Ryan’s recommendation for a single source to best generate traffic to Amazon.

10:24: Good strategies for promoting larger, higher priced items on Facebook ads.

16:41: What is the minimum timespan to allow Facebook ads to implement the proper algorithm for your ads?

18:13: Ryan’s preferred strategy to use Messenger and Facebook ads to get more reviews on Amazon.

20:12: Why does Ryan give away items that are not incentivized?

24:12: Ryan’s take on “black hat” incentivized review campaigns.

25:57: How does Ryan build and nurture audiences to create longer term seller/customer relationships?

29:52: How often and for what reasons does Ryan send out new messages to his subscribers?

33:19: Ryan’s recommendations for how to begin learning about setting up ad campaigns.

35:40: Ryan’s predictions for emerging trends and techniques for Amazon sellers in the future.

Amazon superstar and guru of supplement sales Jeremy Sherk stars in this first-ever return appearance on Actualize Freedom! Get the inside information about what has changed since his last interview in terms of approach, distribution, marketing strategy, psychology of business and much more.

1:58: The Amazon review purge.

4:30: The correlation between the amount of reviews and sales on Amazon.

6:41: How Jeremy dealt with the review purge psychologically and proactively.

10:00: How has Jeremy changed his distribution strategy since he was last on Actualize Freedom?

12:40: Jeremy’s unique approach to supplement sales.

17:20: Jeremy’s day-to-day strategic approach.

19:53: The importance of personal care.

23:02: What are the indicators of burnout for Jeremy and what preemptive action does he take when the indicators show themselves?

26:22: Details about Jeremy’s new podcast and his motivations for doing it.

29:52: Has Jeremy had any business epiphanies since our last chat?

36:31: Jeremy’s view on Messenger marketing.

38:32: Messenger or email - which is more effective right now?

41:00: Parting words/advice.

43:51: Where to find Jeremy online.

Amazon entrepreneur, family man and digital nomad Ben Obrian shares the secrets which earned him freedom from his mundane day job! In this interview Ben details the hours he worked at different periods in his business as well as the processes, steps and decisions he made throughout his entrepreneurial career. Let Ben guide you to attaining financial freedom with Amazon and drop that 9 to 5! 

00:28: How did Ben initially discover Amazon?

2:10: How many hours was Ben spending on his business at the beginning stages?

4:44: Ben’s current situation and plans for traveling the world with his wife and young child.

8:01: Hours Ben works on his Amazon business during the busy season as compared to “relaxed periods”.

10:14: What was Ben’s process for deciding on the first product to sell on Amazon?

15:41: Details about Ben’s Kickstarter campaign.

17:51: The manufacturing and scaling process.

25:10: What Ben wishes he was told when he first started.

28:35: Ben’s main focus for advertisement.

30:01: Ben’s plans for the future of his business ventures.

32:43: Ben’s current travel plans.

34.29: In today’s business climate, what products would Ben pursue and which ones would he avoid?

36:43: How to find Ben online.

QUOTES:

“I eventually found this Amazon FBA model which made just so much sense to me because I could see the value of the tangible products, I didn’t need to build trust with the customer, I didn’t need to do anything but create a better widget and present it to the customer base and they would react with hopefully, sales.”

“At the beginning stages of your journey, I highly recommend spending 3-4 hours a day, as much as you can , listening to as many different podcasts, youtube or if you’re able to buy a course for whatever it can cost you because saving time in the long run will save you a lot of money.”

“If you want to expand a business, it really really takes a lot of cash and so you need to be very cognizant of what your goals are if you’re going into a product.”

“I’m looking for at least 100% ROI, the reason for that is if you go under a 100% ROI, it means that in order to double your inventory, you need to add more capital and so that’s not a great thing.”

“My mindset is always find the best products on the market that currently exist and read the reviews, see what people really really want and find a way to add to that value.”

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SUMMARY

In this episode of Actualize Freedom podcast, Danny goes live in Canggu, Bali with Eric Dahl. Eric has built a multimillion Amazon business that is built off the opposite of what the industry ‘gurus’ preach.

Erik expounds on the market that he went after, the pitfalls and hurdles involved in pursuing this business. He shares some advice on how to start one’s business journey as well as valuable tips on cost saving, product sourcing and handling, and other nuances that should be considered in running the business.

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HIGHLIGHTS

1:16 Eric’s background and how he ended up in Bali

3:33 Examples of Eric’s decisions that go against the grain

11:10 Eric talks about his market pricing and product research

16:53 Eric shares some approaches on how he runs his business

19:22 Shipping

23:08 Strategy recommendations for anyone starting out

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RESOURCES

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Successful Amazon entrepreneur Nate Ginsberg details how he built his business from the ground up. He covers a wide scope of pertinent subjects ranging from vetting employees, marketing, finance management, logistics, the psychological aspect of building and running a business and the importance of enjoying what you do. 

2:10: Nate’s first Amazon business.

4:17: The influential effects of being around other Amazon sellers.

6:46: What prompted Nate to sell his business?

14:18: How did Nate decide on the next step?

20:51: The process of identifying Nate’s unique ability.

26:01: Hiring and inspiring the right team.

32:27: Practical and/or subtle things Nate does to foster inspiration in employees.

44:10: Incorporating the correct systems and structures into the business’ foundation.

47:10: Where to find Nate online.